No, McLaren Won’t Be Sold to Apple—Per McLaren

A potential marriage between a technology titan and one of the marquee manufacturers of high-performance exotic cars might sound like a dream for some. It’s likely to remain exactly that.

A spokesperson for British sports-car manufacturer McLaren issued a denial of a report Wednesday the company was in talks with Apple regarding a strategic partnership or takeover. So you probably can’t count on an i570S any time soon.

“We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment,” the company tells Car and Driver. “As you would expect, the nature of our brand means we regularly have confidential conversations with a wide range of parties, but we keep them confidential.”

Earlier Wednesday, The Financial Times reported the two companies were in discussions regarding a potential takeover, one that ostensibly would help Apple reach its ambitions for bringing a self-driving car to the market. Those efforts are currently at a crossroads. Steve Zadesky, the project’s first leader, left the company earlier this year, and within the past two weeks, the tech firm scaled back its self-driving program, firing “dozens of employees,” according to an earlier New York Times report.

The change in strategy reflects Apple’s shift to producing self-driving technology and not a car itself, the report said. If so, a company like McLaren, with its expertise in carbon fiber and aluminum and cutting-edge performance, might make a tempting target, and we will note that denial of potential investment does not rule out a potential partnership of some form. Analysts have also speculated in recent days that Tesla Motors would also be a potential suitor for Apple. An Apple spokesperson declined comment Wednesday.